Refrigerating apparatus



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. TIFFANY.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Patented Nov. 22, 1881.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. TIFFANY. l

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Patented Nov. 22,1881.

A s g l ie *e o 'gi un A A Fw A &5?

No A M'nessas 4 Inventor Joel TJffany N. PETERS. Phoxo-Lnnagmphcr. washington. D. C.

(No'model.) 3 sheetssheet 3.

J TIFFANY.

REPRIGBRATING APPARATUS. l No. 250,016. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

M ,1r-mn eooooooooob N. PETERS. Prwlo-Lhhegnpher, Wnhingim D4 C.

imno States JOEL TIFFANY, OF HINSDALE, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,016, dated November 22,1881.

Application nieu May 1e, isti. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that l, JOEL TLFFANY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hinsdale, in the county of Du Page, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Befrigerating Apparatus, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view ot` my improved apparatus, the passage from the cooling to the expanding part of the apparatus being partly broken out. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,the walls of the condensingcylinders and the cooling-tank being partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a section on the line com in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the condensing apparatus on the line y y in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section of the same and part ofthe cooling apparatus on the line z z in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view ot' one of the receivingvalves of the condensing apparatus. Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the discharging-valves. Fig. Sis a section on the line c c in Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a detailed perspective view of the supplementary retrigeratin g apparatus (its side wall being partly broken away) and ot part ot the expanding apparatus.

The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to apparatus for lowering temperature by means of the expansion of compressed air; and it consists in apparatus for rst condensing the air, then cooling it in its condensed bulk, then transferring it to one or more sets of expanding apparatus, and then expanding it.

It consists, further, in the several devices and combinations of devices, which will be fully described hereinafter, and definitely pointed out in the claims, the object being to provide for cooling one or more distinct portions of space at considerable distances from the place where the compression and primary cooling of the refrigerating air are effected, and for producing in them a lower temperature with a given expenditure of refrigerants and force than bythe means now in use.

1n the drawings, A denotes the condensing apparatus, the several parts of which are set in a suitable frame, (t. The condensation is effected in cylinders B, the size and number of which are determined by the quantity of cool air required. In the arrangement shown in the drawings, which will ordinarily be found most convenient, these cylinders are uprights. They are open at the upper end, and cach has in the lower base a pair of parallel slots, b. Close under each cylinder a pair of hollow cylindrical valves, Bfv and B2, are arranged in bearin gs in the frame a, so as to be capable of turning about their axes. These axes are parallel to the slotsb and are perpendicularly below them. Each valve has in its convex surface a slot, b or b2, equal in shape and dimensions to the slots b of the condensing-cylinders, and opposite to that part of the axis which is immediately under the slots in thecylinders, so that at a certain stage in the vibratory movement of each valve the slot b or b2 will register exactly with one of the slots b, while in other stages the valve will lclose the slot b. The valve B has an opening, b3, at its outer end for the admission of air from without, and is closed at its inner end. The valve B2 is closed at its outer end, while its inner end opens into a tube, O, on a level with the valves and at right angles to their axes, which conveys the air to the coolingapparatus. In thedrawingstwosuchtubes are shown arranged side by side, one for each pair of condensing-cylinders. The condensation is effected in each cylinder by a plunger, B3, which is a piston-head iitting closely in the cylinder B, and provided with a piston-rod, b4, whose length of stroke is sutcient to bring the piston-head in close contact With the bottom of the condensing-cylinder in its downward movement, but not so high as the top ofB in its upward movement.

In the drawings each plunger is represented as a hollow cylinder of about equal altitude with the condensing-cylinder, and this construction will be found to facilitate the movement of the former in the latter. It is also beneficial as affording an increased packingsurface.

A hole, b5, may be cut through the wall of the cylinder B at a point above the highest level of the bottom of the plunger, and a corresponding annular groove, bG, may be sunk in foo the convex surface ofthe plunger at an equal A distance above its bottom. The condensingcylinders being either sct in a tank of water or subjected to spray orstreamsof water, water will thus be admitted to the groove, and will form an air-tight packing between the plunger and the inner surface ot' the condensing-cylinder, While none will be admitted to the airspace. As represented iu the drawings, the motion is communicated to the plunger by means of a revolving shaft, a', having its bearings in the upper part ofthe frame a, and carrying a pinion, ai", whoseA teeth engage with those of wheels a3, one for the forward and one for the back pair of condensing cylinders. Each of these wheels turns a shaft, a, having at each end a crank, a5, which gives the reciprocating motion to the piston-rods b4. The cranks are so arranged that one pair ot plungers are depressed at the same time that the otherpairareraised. Theair-currentsarethus stronger than it' all the cylinders were receiving and all discharging at once. The particular mechanism, however, by which the plungers are raised and lowered forms no part of my invention, there being a number ot' familiar devices by whieh this result may be attained.

By a system of connecting mechanism which will be obvious to any competent machinist, and which for that reason I do not show in the drawings, the valves B and B2 are made to vibrate on their axes in correspondence with the rising and falling of the plungers, the valves being so set in their bearings that when the plunger in either of the condensing-cylinders B is rising the slot b of the corresponding valve B will communicate with the corresponding slot b in the bottom of the cylinder, while the valve B2 will have the closed part of its periphery opposite the other slot b, so that there will be a free admission ot outer air to the cylinder B, but no retlux ofthe air that has already been forced out from it. By the time the plunger begins to descend the turning of lthe valves has brought the closed part ot' the periphery ot' the inlet-valve B in contact with the corresponding slot in the condensing-cylinder, so that there is no more access for air from without, and at the same time the slot b2 of the outlet-valve B2 has come into communication with the other slot in the cylinder, so that the air forced down by the descending` plunger escapes through the open end of B2 into the passage C, necessarily suffering in the process a compression proportionate to the dit'- ference between the area of the piston-head and the area of the smallest outlet-opening. The communication of the valve B2 with the cylinder B continues until the plunger rests close on the bottom of the cylinder, when the vibratory motion of the valve brings its closed peripheryagain in contact with the corresponding slot, and the cylinder is ready to be lled again from the outer air as the plunger rises. By proportioniug the length of stroke so that the plunger is brought clear to the bottom of the cylinder B, I avoid the resistance to the inux'ot outerair by the remains of' compressed air in the cylinder, which is so troublesome in other forms of condensing'apparatus.

The air-passages C, which receive Vthe compressed and proportionately heated air as it is forced out of' the condensing-cylinders, discharge it into the cooling apparatus D. This consists, essentially, of one or more primary receiving-cylinders, d, and one or more secondary receiving-cylinders, d', with a set ot' worms, d2, arranged one above another and connecting the two cylinders of each pair, so as to allow the condensed air to pass from the primary to the secondary receiver. Each airpassage C opens directly into the corresponding primary receiver. As represented in the drawings, the receiving-cylinders and the connecting worms are set in a tank, d3, which is filled with water as cold as can conveniently be had. The tank, however, is not essential, inasmuch as the water may be applied to the receivers and worms in streams or spray. Each secondary receivingcylinder communicates with the distributing apparatus through a dischargingpipe,E. Exceptwheretheycoinmunicate with the pipes C and E and with the worms d2, all the receiving-cylinders are airtight. By this part ot' the apparatus the air is made to part with the heat developed in the process of condensation, and is reduced to a temperature somewhat above the freezingpoint, while continuing reduced in bulk as when it left the condensing apparatus.

The discharging-pipes E from the several pairs ot' cooling-cylinders open into a comlnon discharging-pipe, E', which leads into the main distributing-cylinder F.

In the drawings, the discharging-pipes for the two pairs ot' cooling-cylinders shown are combined into a single yoke-shaped pipe, a convenient arrangement for a cooling apparatus ot' that extent, though not suitable t'or a greater number of cylinders.

The distributing-cylinder F may have as many branches leading to different and (it' need be) distant apartments to be supplied with cold air as may be needed.

In the drawings only a single outlet-pipe, F', is shown, leading into the reservoir Gr, which is preferably of cylindrical form. A cock, f, regulates the supply from-the distributing-cylinder to this reservoir, so that it may conform in volume and density to the requirements of the space to be supplied.

A pipe, G', leads from the reservoir to the expanding apparatus, which consists ot' au engine similar to an ordinary steam-engine, but driven by air. ln the drawings only the airchest H, cylinder H', and piston-rod H2 of this engine are shown. By means of this engine not only is the expansive force of the compressed air made available for a variety of necessary work, but bythe expenditure of the force it parts with a proportionate degree ot' heat. When discharged from the exhaustpipe of the engine into the space which is to be supplied with cold air, its temperature is relOO IOS

IIO

IIS

duced from that at which it entered the condensing apparatus in a degree proportioned to the compression which it received and to the force expended in driving the en gine, added to such reduction below its original temperature as it may have undergonein the cooling apparatus.

The distributing and expanding apparatus are provided with suitable supports, J.

When it is essential to secure a very dry air and the temperature ofthe air in the expanding apparatus is not low enough to condense and deposit there its moisture, or when a very low temperature is requisite in the chamberr which is tobe supplied with the cold air, I add to the expanding apparatus a supplementary refri geratin g apparatus, K, (shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings.) This consists of a box or tank divided into three chambers. The first, 7c, communicates with the expanding apparatus by the pipe H3, and opens at the other end into numerous small pipes, k2, which extend the length of the second chamber, k; otherwise the first chamber is air-tight. The second chamber, k,is open at the top, so as to receive ice or a mixture of salt and ice or other suitable refrigerant. This maybe appliedin quantity sufcient, if desired, to [ill all the space between the pipes k2. The air passing through these pipes will thus be reduced to an extremely low temperature. The pipes k2 discharge the air thus refrigerated into athird chamber, 7c3, similar to 7c, and having an outlet-pipe, K', which conveys the air to the chamber to be supplied, all the moisture which remained in the air as it left the expanding apparatus having been deposited in the pipes k2 or the chamber 7c3. By giving the pipes k2 a slight downward slope toward the chamber 7c3 they may be drained through the latter, a faucet of equivalent device being provided for that purpose.

By the devices which I have described I am enabled to collect,condense, and primarily cool the air at any place that may bemost eligible for the purpose on account of the pureness of the air, accessibility of cold water, or other cause, convey it thus condensed and cooled to a distant place where it may be desired for use, and then discharge it still further cooled (whether with or without the use ot' the supplementary refrigerating apparatus) into the chamber to be supplied-into the interior of a railway frei gbt-car, for example. The space thus filled being closed up air-tight, its. temperature may be kept down at the same degree for as long a time as may be desired by keeping an upper compartment supplied with a quantity of ice which would be utterly inadequate to produce such a temperature originally.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v l. A condensing-cylinder, B, provided with inlet and outlet openings b in its bottom, an inlet-valve,B, provided with an inlet-openin g, b3, and an outlet-opening, b', arranged as described, an outlet-valve, B2, provided with an inlet-opening, b2, arranged as described, and an outlet-opening, an air-duct, C, arranged to communicate with the outlet-opening of the valve B2, a plunger, B3, arranged to t within the cylinder B, and mechanism for raising and depressing the plunger and for bringing the inlet-valve alone into communication with the interior ot' the cylinder when the plunger is rising, and the outlet-valve alone into communication with the interior of the cylinder when the plunger is falling, all in combination, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination ot' a condensing apparatus, A, cooling apparatus D, distributingcylinders F and G, an expanding apparatus, andconnecting-pipes, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The supplementary. refrigerating apparatus K, consisting of the chambers lr, k', and k3, and refrigerating-pipes k2, all in combina. tion, substantially as and for the purposes described.

` JOEL TIFFANY.

Witnesses JN0. C. MAGGREGOR, THOMAS H. PEAsE. 

